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The properties of 1.2-μm highly strained InGaAs quantum wells (QWs) grown on GaAs substrates have been analyzed. Optical gain spectra versus injection current and temperature, transparency current density, as well as other figures of merit were assessed from measurements on broad-area and ridge-waveguide lasers based on these QWs. Such active regions are of interest for a range of applications, including GaAs-based high-power lasers and vertical-cavity lasers for wavelengths beyond 1.2 μm.

We have studied n- and p-type doping-induced performance degradation of AlAs/GaAs distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) for applications in vertical cavity lasers (VCLs). Based on high-accuracy optical reflectance and triple-axis x-ray diffraction measurements on a variety of differently doped DBR structures grown by metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy, a fitting procedure was employed to extract the doping-dependent optical loss. A striking observation is that the reflectance of these DBRs is much more sensitive to n- than p-type doping incorporation. While in the latter case the loss can be well accounted for by intervalence-band and free-carrier absorption, additional loss mechanisms must be considered for n-type DBRs. We relate the losses to doping-enhanced interdiffusion effects resulting in increased interface scattering. These findings should have important consequences for the design of VCLs, demonstrating the importance of reduced n-type doping concentrations and/or growth temperatures, or the application of alternative device concepts, e.g., employing intracavity contacts.

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